The invention concerns an apparatus for the processing/handling of the anus/rectum of slaughtered animals, comprising a cutting arrangement mounted on a housing for the cutting-over of the connection between the anus/rectum and surrounding tissue, said cutting arrangement comprising a cavity defined by a cylindrical blade with cutting edge and an extension of same, and further movement means for the handling of the cutting arrangement, and where displaced in the cavity, substantially parallel with the axis of the cylindrical blade, there is a mandrel/a hollow profile connected to means for establishing of a second under-pressure on the inside of the mandrel/hollow profile and for the emptying of a part of the intestine/rectum.
The invention also concerns a method for the loosening of the anus/rectum of a slaughtered animal, comprising the cutting free of the outermost part of the anus/rectum in relation to the surrounding tissue by means of a cutting arrangement, and where in a mandrel or the like there is established an under-pressure for the sucking-up of faeces and the like from the anus/rectum, said mandrel being moved down into the anus/rectum, and that a knife/drill is fed forward for the cutting free.
Finally, the invention concerns the use of such an apparatus and the method.
From EP-B-564613 there is known an apparatus for the loosening of the anus of slaughtered animals, this comprising a cutting arrangement and means for positioning the slaughtered animal in relation to the cutting arrangement.
In this case the cutting arrangement is configured as a cylinder which is moved forward, and which with its cutting edge at the free end effects a loosening of the anus/rectum. However, in connection with this loosening there will occur a strong contamination of the meat due to the contents of colon bacteria in the intestines, which will thus spread out to the surrounding meat.
It is known from other systems to effect an emptying of a part of the intestines, corresponding to the outermost 10-20 cm, by applying a vacuum or an under-pressure to the outermost part of the intestine area. The faeces are hereby sucked out. As a consequence of the under-pressure, the intestine will collapse, which means that not all of the intestine is emptied. There is thus effected an emptying of the faeces from the outermost area, while at the same time a reasonable and effective closing-off of the actual intestine itself takes place. However, also here there occurs a contamination of the meat due to the free-cutting which takes place.
From EP-A457408 there is known an apparatus for the cutting free of the anus, and where a disinfection is carried out in the area in which the cutting is effected. However, the apparatus is arranged in such a manner that the liquid disinfectant is injected on the inner side of a mandrel for the sucking-out of the faeces, and is thus mixed with the faeces, and this mixed-together substance of faeces and liquid disinfectant is subsequently sucked out through the same opening. Consequently, no disinfection of the sides of the blade is carried out, which means that a contamination of the meat may very well take place, in that the sides of the cutting edge are in no way subjected to disinfection. Moreover, the mixing of faeces together with the disinfection liquid means that the liquid cannot be reused, but must be directly discarded as waste.
There is also known an apparatus from U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,341 for the loosening of intestines by means of a cutting and rotating knife, and where water is applied in connection with the cutting-free, indeed on the inner side of the rotating blade in the same way as with the present invention, but where the sucking-out of both water and faeces take place in one and the same chamber, and where faeces also come out in the chamber between the cutting knife and the sucking mandrel, whereby bacteria from the cutting mandrel can very easily be transferred to the meat in the separation area between the outside of the intestine and the surrounding meat. Moreover, with the system whereby the sucking-up of the mixed liquid and faeces in one and the same chamber, there is no possibility of being able to re-circulate the liquid which is used in connection with the establishing of a cleaned area during the cutting.
The object of the present invention is thus to provide a system whereby it is possible to cut the anus/rectum area free, while at the same time that an emptying of the outermost part of the intestine is effected without any contamination of the meat by colon bacteria from the faeces, in that there are separate discharge openings for faeces and the disinfection liquid, whereby as further advantage it can be mentioned that the disinfection liquid can be re-circulated, in that it can be sent to a chamber for cleaning and thus be reused during the process.
This object is achieved with a system of the kind disclosed in the introduction, and where the apparatus further comprises first means for handling/removal/sucking-out of a disinfecting substance supplied to the cavity, said first means being separated from the means for establishing of a second under-pressure and comprising an arrangement for the establishing of a first under-pressure in the cavity.
The system functions in such a manner that the cutting arrangement, which is preferably configured as a hollow cylinder, is provided with a sharp edge at its end. This cylinder is mounted in a rotary/pivotal manner in a housing, and thus has a surface corresponding to approx. 4-5 cm which lies outside the housing itself. During the cutting free of the anus/rectum, the arrangement will be moved forward with its cutting edge which is placed between the outer membrane of the anus/rectum and the surrounding connective tissue. A rotation of the cylinder is effected, by which process the anus/rectum is cut free. At the same time, an under-pressure is established in a mandrel lying on the inside of the cutting arrangement and corresponding preferably to 0.9 atm. There is hereby effected an emptying of the outermost 10-20 cm which, incidentally, results in a collapse of the intestine.
In connection with the implementation of this rotation, cutting-free and establishing of vacuum, a disinfection liquid is injected under high pressure through a nozzle, for example lactic acid, which finds its way into a cylindrical passage between the mandrel and the cylinder itself and the extension of same.
In the cylindrical passage there is established an under-pressure which will suck the used, liquid disinfectant out. It should be noted that the first and second means which establish the respective under-pressures are separate and physically divided units which suck from each of their corresponding cavities, which are similarly separated from each other.
Since a vacuum is continued to be applied, no filling of the anus/rectum with disinfection liquid will occur, and that meat which is subsequently cut out will thus be bacteria free, also free of colon bacteria. In addition to the meat not being contaminated, there is also the side-effect that the cylinder knife is disinfected, so that no cross-contamination occurs from one slaughtered animal to the next.
Disinfection liquid is thus present during the whole of the sucking-out and emptying of the anus/rectum, and the whole process of emptying and cutting free of the anus/rectum is thus effected as contamination-free as possible due to the presence of the disinfecting liquid. The disinfecting liquid has a certain period of effect, depending on which type is used. This period can be as much as 20 seconds, which means that there is no risk during the subsequent handling at the next station that bacteria will be transferred to the relevant personnel when the slaughtered animal is conveyed to the station, where there is typically carried out a final closing of the anus/rectum, possibly by tying this in a knot, in that the area is very close to being one hundred percent disinfected. Consequently, it is important that the disinfecting liquid distributes itself on the inner surface which demarcates the cavity and also the surface of the mandrel, so that the system, during both the emptying and loosening of the anus/rectum, has the disinfecting liquid present on its inside and on its inner surface, whereby a disinfection of the anus/rectum is effected, and whereby there is also a disinfection of the knife itself. The disinfection is thus on the inside of the cylindrical drill, which is in contact with the outer surface of the intestine.
By providing an apparatus according to the invention, there is achieved an expedient supply and dosing of the substance which is necessary to attain the disinfection effect.
By providing an apparatus according to the invention, expedient relationships between the knife and the remaining part of the apparatus are achieved.
The invention also concerns a method for loosening the anus/rectum of a slaughtered animal, comprising the cutting free by means of a cutting arrangement of the outermost part of the anus/rectum in relation to the surrounding tissue, and where an under-pressure is established in a mandrel or the like for the sucking-up of faeces and the like from the anus/rectum, said mandrel being moved down in the anus/rectum, and where the knife/drill is fed forward for the cutting free, and where a liquid disinfectant is supplied to the cavity in the cutting arrangement, in which cavity the mandrel is disposed, and where the liquid leaves the cavity via discharge openings/systems which are separated from the faeces, said liquid not being in contact with the sucked-up faeces.
In the same manner as with the arrangement, with this method it is achieved that the risk of contamination of the meat is minimised, while at the same time an expedient disinfection of the knife itself is effected. The method is suitable for use in connection with the apparatus of the invention.
Finally, the invention also concerns the use of both the apparatus and the method for slaughtered animals.